


Good Spirits

by dreamonlosers



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Episode: s04e12 Still, Friendship, Lesbian Character, beth is gay and i love her, suck it bethyl shippers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 11:50:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7102069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamonlosers/pseuds/dreamonlosers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth knew that it didn't really matter anymore, but she wanted to tell someone, y'know?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> this would still follow the canonical sequence of events, just this dialogue slipped in before and after their fight.
> 
> beth and daryl had a lovely relationship but making it romantic is not only gross, but super boring. also, i love beth so much and i've always seen her as sapphic.

Beth's fingers twitched around the grimy bottle as she glared at the glass. The reflection showed her blonde fly-aways surrounding her head like a halo and smudges of blood and dirt caked her tanned skin. It wasn't fair, she thought. The image didn't look right.

In front of her, Daryl sat with his legs crossed. His crossbow leaned against his arm as he stared at the stained floorboards, arms loosely crossed over his chest. Glimpses of his skin were seen through the ratty, torn fabric of his clothes. Daryl was dirtier than she was, but it suited him. It was right.

So, Beth mimicked his position. Slumping over, she folded her arms and relaxed her legs a bit. Her bottom lip jutted out only slightly and she set the bottle down in between her and Daryl. But her hands were antsy, looking for something to do. 

Tapping her knee, Beth began. "I have never…"

She bit her lip and looked at her friend. Daryl looked impatient, as if he had something better to do. But if he didn't really care about Beth, then he wouldn't be humoring her like this. Beth knew that.

Taking another breath, she continued. "I have never liked someone of the opposite sex. Y'know, in…that way."

Being inebriated had taken the edge off of the confession. Maybe that was why she said it, because any other time she wouldn't. It wasn't anyone's business, really. That shit shouldn't have mattered to anyone, but it had been humming in her mind for too damn long.

But when she looked into the glass again, it was okay. It was right.

Daryl took a swig from the bottle, but he didn't say anything. Rather, he looked like he knew, on some level. Like he was waiting for her to say it the entire time.

It was probably dumb of her, but she trusted Daryl -- a regular southern redneck -- with that fact. She had figured out a long time ago that, even during the end of the world, people still gave too many fucks. When she came out to her boyfriend, Jimmy, he hated her. A deceiving dyke was what he called Beth before storming off.

And then Jimmy died. No one alive knew that she was gay. Not her sister, not her father, not her brother-in-law. Glenn would probably had been the best to come out to, but as far as Beth could tell, she had missed her chance.

Daryl cleared his throat and handed the bottle back to her. "I've never…"

***

They were sitting on the porch, staring into the forest that had settled in a blue hue. Her tear-stained face felt sticky and her blood was vibrating with moonshine.

Beth nudged Daryl with her boot. "Y'know, I'm gay."

She had laughed when she said it and wondered why she was bringing it up again. But Daryl just nodded, twisting the bottle in his hand. "Y'told me."

"I didn't wanna date a boy." Beth continued. "But I was friends with Jimmy, and Daddy was fond of him…I didn't want to disappoint him."

Again, she laughed. Through the darkness, she could've sworn that she saw the corners of Daryl's mouth curl upwards before he turned his head.

"I guess it doesn't matter now. I just wanted to tell someone, I guess," She said. In the distance, she heard crickets chirping as an owl flew over the shack. Everything felt a bit louder after moonshine, Beth concluded.

Daryl nudged her with his boot like she had. "'S fine."

Beth leaned forwarded and wrapped her arms around her knees. She played with the beads on her bracelets and ran a thumb over the scars on her wrist, bitterly resenting them. This was why she was alive. To be with other people, and they could be with her.

After a long silence, Beth spoke again.

"I can see why my dad stopped drinking."

***

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are more than welcome!


End file.
